Antenna connector clip



July 3, 1962 P. J. TEBAY ANTENNA CONNECTOR CLIP Filed March 26, 1959INVENTOR R J. TEBAY ATTORNEY United states Patent 50 3,942,738 ANTENNACONNECTOR CLIP Paul J. Tebay, Alpena, S. Dak. Filed Mar. 26, 1959, Ser.No. 802,207 1 Claim. (ill. 174-52) This invention relates tocommunications apparatus such as radio and television receivers, andmore par-' ticularly to connectors or conductors by means of which leadsto antenna are attached.

In recent years, it has become the practice of television manufacturersto employ an antenna clip mounted on the removable back panel oftelevision sets in such a manner that the antenna must be disconnectedwhen the back panel-is removed for servicing. Under these conditions,the owner or service man, who desires to test the operation of the setand make necessary adjustments with the back panel removed, must connectan auxiliary antenna or make a temporary connection between the antennaand tuner leads. This has delayed the servicing and repair of suchapparatus and in some instances has proven unsatisfactory because theset could not be tested under actual conditions due in partto faulty orloose connections.

Furthermore, in some instances, the antenna, or a portion thereof, hasbeen mounted on or built into the set, and it is sometimes desirable tosupplement such antenna or to substitute another which is more suitableto the conditions of use. In such circumstances it is frequentlynecessary to go to considerable trouble and expense to remove theantenna leads from the built-in antenna and to connect it to an externalantenna.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide arelatively simple and inexpensive clip-type connector having terminalsto which the receivers tuner leads and antenna leads may be quickly andeasily connected, and which may be easily slipped oil of the back of theset without disconnecting the leads when the back is removed, therebypermitting use of the antenna during servicing.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cliptype connector fora television receiver having external terminals to which various'antennaleads may be quickly and easily connected and disconnected.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from thefollowing description, taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a rear elevation of a television set illustrating one methodof mounting the connector of the present invention;

FIG. 2, an enlarged fragmentary detail of a portion of FIG. 1; I

FIG. 3, a perspective view of a connector constructed in accordance withthe present invention;

FIG. 4, a plan view of the connector of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5, a section on the line 55 of FIG. 4.

Briefly stated, the invention is embodied in 1a flexible, spring-likeelongated clip member having closely spaced connected opposed portionswhich may be spread apart to engage a sheet member such as the backpanel of a television receiver, the frictional force and springlikeaction holding the member in position. The member includes a pair ofspaced conductors which are insulated from each other and which extendin parallel relationship from approximately one end of the member to theother. Suitable terminal clips or mounting posts are provided at the endof each conductor, to'which tuner and antenna leads may be connected.

With particular reference to the drawings, a receiving set isillustrated having a housing consisting of a cabinet 11 and a back panel12. Mounted on the back panel are a pair of conventional slip-typeconnectors 13 to which antenna leads 14 and tuner leads 15 may beconnected. When it is desired to remove the back panel,

the tuner leads 15 first must be removed from the connectors 13 andallowed to pass through an opening 16 in the back panel when such panelis removed.

The construction described thus far is found in many conventionalreceivers.

In order to obviate the necessity of disconnecting the tuner leads uponthe removal of the back of the receiver,

the present invention provides a connector clip 18 having asubstantially U-shaped body in which the free ends are in closerproximity than the bight portion. The body of the clip is preferably offlexible one-piece construction and includes relatively flat, elongatedfront and rear por-' tions 19 and 20 connected by a bight portion 21. 'Apair 0f conductors 22 and23 are imbedded in or mounted on the body ofthe clip and extend in spaced relation from a position adjacent to thefree end of the front portion around the bight to a position adjacent tothe free end of the rear portion. The conductors may consist of aprinted circuit or of suitable wire adapted to conduct the incomingsignal to the set and are appropriately spaced for minimum line loss.

At each end of the conductors, terminals are mounted on the connectorclip for the reception of the antenna leads on one end and the tunerleads on the opposite end. Those illustrated on the outer side or frontof the connector are terminal posts and nuts 25 and on the inner side orback of the connector are terminal clips 26, although various types ofterminals may be used.

In a preferred embodiment, the connector clip 18 is formed fromnon-conducting material such as a plastic and the conductors are moldedinto the connector during its manufacture. Various plastics may be used,such as a vinyl resin which can be formed into a relatively hard,springlike, member. If desired, other materials such as metal may beused, it being necessary, however, to insure adequate insulation of theconductors from each other and of the connector clip to avoid disruptionof signal voltages through contact with other conducting parts withwhich it might come in contact. In the use of the connector it iscontemplated that the terminal clips 26 be connected to the two leadsfrom the tuner which is adapted to receive the signals from the antenna.Preferably, a little slack is provided in the tuner leads in order thatthe back of the set may bemoved slightly away from the set to facilitateremoval and attachment of the connector clip to the back. vThe externalantenna leads are connected to the posts 25 of the connector. When theback of the set is removed, the connector clip 18 may be easily slippedoff of the back without disconnecting the leads, and this will permitthe reception of signals under actual operating conditions even thoughthe back is removed.

In servicing a receiver of the nature described, the service man maydisconnect the tuner and antenna leads from the 'back panel and attachthem to the connector clip of the present invention. This will simplifyhis testing of the set while having access to its interior.

Similarly, if the timer or antenna leads or terminals of the set or onthe back of the set are damaged, substitute connections may be easilyand simply provided by means of the connector clip described.

In cases in which antenna is built into the set, either on the cabinetor on the back, and the user desires to have a simple means forconnection to a substitute external antenna, the present connector iswell adapted to meet such need by simply clipping it onto the back ofthe set and attaching the tuner leads to the clips 26, thus providingeasily accessible terminal posts 25 to which external antenna may beconnected.

aoaarse Accordingly, it will be understood that the present inventionincludes a simple springlike connector clip which may be easily mountedon the back panel of the receiver or attached to any relatively thinmember, and has terminals for internal and external connection to thetuner and antenna leads of the receiver.

Not only is the invention useful in the repair and servicing ofreceivers, hat it may be made a part of the set by the manufacturer inorder to facilitate servicing and repair and. the connection of varioustypes of antenna by both the user and the service man.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changesmaybe made in the embodiment of the invention described, withoutdeparting from its spirit and scope, and therefore the invention is notlimited by that which is illustrated in the drawings and described inthe specification but only as appears in the accompanying claim.

What is claimed is:

In combination a cabinet for containing apparatus with an electricalconnection between the interior and the exterior, and a removable panelfor providing access to the interior of the cabinet, means whereby saidpanel nection to the interior of said cabinet, a pair of conductorscarried by the connector clip and extending therealong from the interiorto the exterior portion, the conductors being insulated from each other,and a plurality of terminal attaching means carried by the clip, onebeing connected to each end of each conductor.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,791,666 Finn Feb. 10,1931

2,654,870 Miller Oct. 6, 1953 2,854,502 Richter Sept. 30, 1958 2,872,857Rich et a1. Feb. 10, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 201,859 Great Britain Aug. 9,1923

